Cold Roses
by KahneCrescent
Summary: SEQUEL to Grey Flower. Between a doomed Pureblood child, a dangerously obsessed new model, a family death, and an energetic boyfriend, Senri barely has any time to worry about Kaname's return, or the chaos it will bring. TakumaxSenri.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** Hello all, and welcome to the sequel~! Yes, that's right! I committed to something. Don't everybody get all surprized at once. Uhmmm... that was strange grammer. Someone tell me whether or not that even made sense, please.

Anyway, very soon, I'll be putting up the first chapter, so review FAST! The more reviews the better; because for all you dedicated yaoi-lemon-loving reviewers of Senri and Takuma's, there may be a nice, sour TakumaxSenri lemon later in this story. Probably the second or fourth chapters, because I've got plans for the third. Yeah.

So, this sequel is going to be more drama and relationships for a little while before it gets into the nasty stuff. I'm going to try and make this a little longer than _Grey Flower_, so feed me the critism and praise I need to run on.

Thank ya!

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_**Cold Roses**_

_"A heart that loves is always young."_

_Prologue_

"Daddy!" There was a flash of dark brown as I lifted my head from the pillows. I knew what was coming; but I was too slow — the sound of running footsteps had entered the bedroom just seconds before they stopped abruptly and I couldn't defend myself from the small vampire child that vaulted himself through the air and landed flat across my back. "Daddy, are you awake?"

It had been a peaceful morning until then. After a rough night of chasing around my now seven-year-old nephew and adopted son, Takuma and I had just settled in for a nice, long, uninterrupted sleep about two hours ago... But, of course, I can't have a moment of peace with a kid in the house, so I was more than a little cranky with a migrane that could kill a Pureblood. But... kids need attention, and fortunately, I was mature enough to realize this.

I sighed, turning over and forcing the child into the middle of the bed, between Takuma and I. "I am now."

"Can I sleep here today?" he begged and I looked over my shoulder at him, nearly glaring.

"Is that all you wanted?" He nodded and I sighed again, a little more exasperated. "Katsura, you can sleep in here whenever you want to."

Kuran Katsura smiled, and I turned over, expecting him to scoot closer and wrap his arms around my neck in a tight embrace. He snuggled close to me, letting his eyes close slowly; and before I knew it, he was alseep. I had to smile at him, just as I had for the last four years since he had taken up this habit, and stroked his hair gently. I heard the ruffle of sheets next to Katsura and felt the matress shift. When I looked up, Takuma was looking down on our son with the same look that I must have had.

"He's beautiful, isn't he?" I asked, smoothing a lock of hair off his forehead. Takuma nodded in agreement, silent for a few moments as we took in the scene for the millionth time since I had brought him home to the Shiki Manor. Though, with school going all winter, Takuma and I were busy up at Cross Academy, and it was almost impossible to come down and see him. I had missed him, really... And then, I had all summer with him... He had gotten on my nerves plenty of times, yes... and normally that would have turned me completely away from him; but I couldn't help it. I felt compelled to protect this child, the way I did with Takuma; and sometimes, I wasn't sure if it was because I loved him, or because he was unknowingly enforcing his Pureblood Will on me... It was times like this that made me acknowledge my love for him.

"Only Kaname and Yuuki could have created such an angelic little creature..." Takuma sighed, almost dreamy. But I looked up at him, glaring.

"Don't ever mention that when I'm having a moment with him, alright?"

Takuma nodded, feeling the obvious emotion that I was emitting. I hated being told that he was only my nephew... I shouldn't let him call me 'Daddy', because one day, Kaname would come back for him... It was things like that that made my stomach twist with an unnameable pain, and I wrapped my arm around Katsura, gripping him hard. I was being so... _possessive_ of him... But I didn't want to let go; until I felt a small fist tangle in my t-shirt and push away.

"D-daddy...! You're crushing me!"

I let go abruptly. He stared up at me, a questioning look in his crimson eyes. "I... I'm sorry, Katsura..."

"I know... You just don't know you're own strength. Kuro-sama says that I don't know my own, either; that my blood is so pure that my own strength could kill me... What does that mean?" He cocked his head to the side, furrowing his brow.

"Nothing, Katsura. Go back to sleep." I looked up at Takuma, exchanging the same glance as Katsura snuggled back into my chest.

"Oh... Kay. Mornin', Daddy. Love ya."

"I love you, too, Katsura." I began to stroke his hair again and he smiled against my chest. "Forgetting something?"

"Oh... Mornin' Takuma. Love ya."

Takuma gave a slight chuckle at this. "Love you, too, Katsu-rin."

It took him no time to fall asleep again, and both Takuma and I laid ourselves back down. For several long minutes, we stared at eachother, stunned. Kuronue would know Purebloods best... What did he mean by that: _his own strength could kill him_? I gripped my child close again, not as tightly this time, only wanting to shield him from all the dangers of this world... But how could I when apparently the biggest danger was himself?


	2. Chapter One

**A/N: **Hello, all, and welcome to Chapter One! I'd just like to say thank you to Kim-chan, who was the first to review on both _Grey Flower_ and _Cold Roses_! Actually, I wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't pointed it out...

Okay, so despite the lackage of reviews, there IS going to be LEMON in the next chapter. Just a warning for those of you who enjoy the story, but would rather not read lemons.

Well, thanks to those of you who are reading and enjoying the series so far! Please keep supporting Senri and his ever-growning gang of Awesomeness!

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_**Cold Roses**_

_"It is not flesh and blood, but the heart which makes us father and son."_

_Chapter One_

"Morning, all!" A twenty-one-year-old Kisaragi Miyabi skipped into the kitchen in her favourite buisness suit and kissed mine and Takuma's cheeks. I cringed away, and Takuma embraced her with a warm smile; I wondered how he could be so... _awake_ at this hour of the evening. In turn, Miyabi skipped around the other side of the table to where Katsura sat, chewing on his fork — his new fangs, the functional ones, were coming in, and I felt his pain. That was why I wasn't scolding him for chewing on things. It was an uncomfortable time, especially with the sharpness of these new fangs; he would probably spend the next few weeks biting his tongue and lips by accident as he learned to use them... This was going to be painful for _everyone_.

"Morning, Miyabi!" Katsura responded as he abandoned his fork-chewing to give Miyabi a hug. "Look, the left one's already coming through!" He pulled his lip back to show her, and she grinned.

"Wow! You're going to be a real Vampire before you know it!" She ruffled his hair and released him while he frowned. She had always teased him about not being a real Vampire, just because he didn't drink blood at his young age, and it always frustrated him to the highest degree. He would retaliate by grabbing her arm and draining the energy out of her until she was too weak to chase him, and then took off to hide behind me. It was always me for some reason... He called _me_ Daddy. He ran to _me_ whenever he hurt himself or got scared. He used _me_ for protection. Kuronue-sama had once told me it was because I was destined to be his Guardian; and I could accept that. So, I tried to keep him safe from everything... And the things I couldn't save him from, I had to learn to accept. That was the hardest part...

"Daddy!" Katsura turned to me then, pouting. I sighed and shook my head.

"You can't _always_ get my help, Katsura," I sighed, stuffing my mouth with a slice of toast topped with a perfect mixture of cinnimon and sugar. Katsura huffed, brattily, and switched his gaze to Takuma, hopefully.

"Senri's right; you're getting older now. You have to learn to fend for yourself." Takuma leaned over to put a head on my shoulder, snatching a bite off the toast that hung out of my mouth. As he had most likely planned, our lips brushed in a soft kiss, and I leaned forward to nuzzle his cheek in sleepy bliss. I looked up at the stunned looks on both Katsura and Miyabi's faces and smiled slightly.

Katsura tugged Miyabi a little closer and whispered, not-so-discreetly, into her ear, "If that's what grown ups do, then I _never_ want to get older."

This made Takuma laugh, and he pulled back, wrapping thin, willowy fingers around my own under the table. "You won't think so one day. You'll find yourself a nice Pureblood girl and you'll love her like nothing else in this world."

Instantly, Katsura was confused. "A... girl...? Then... you must be... Mommy!" I was surpirzed it had taken him this long to figure something like that out. Nonetheless, I pretended to choke on my toast to conceal the laugh. Takuma shot me a glare and continued to look downcast. He had done this, and now he had to set it right. That was our agreement.

"W-well... actually... I'm your Daddy, too."

Katsura tilted his head to one side. "But... Kuro-sama says... Kuro-sama says that everything has to have a Daddy and a Mommy... You can't be my Daddy, because Daddy's already my Daddy... I think..."

The Pureblood child was easy to confuse, and, without trying to, Takuma sent his mind into fits — often. That poor kid was so lost that he was holding his head — I imagined it was probably giving his intelligent little mind a serious complex having Takuma and I as his legal guardians. We did what we could, but we had no idea what we were doing, and we hadn't thought about what we would tell him about... _us_. Evidently, Takuma had figured something out; as well he should have — he had gotten himself into this.

"You _did_ have a Mommy... She's just not here anymore."

"Oh. And Daddy's my Daddy... So, after Mommy went away, Daddy got you?"

Takuma blinked, a little hurt by the thought. "No, Katsura. I was always with Daddy."

"Then you _are _Mommy?" Katsura brightened up a little bit. Miyabi and I watched the two across the table, knowing full well that this was headed for certain disaster.

"Well... no, but—"

"Then where's Mommy?"

It was unavoidable now. I nodded at Takuma slightly when he looked to me for guidance. "Mommy's... dead, Katsura."

"What?" The child was completely taken aback. He knew what that meant. He had known since he was very young and had accidently drained every last bit of energy from his pet cat, Nemurikarasameru (named for the way we had presented him with the kitten on his third birthday... We often just called it Nemu.). Usually, Vampire Children can only drain a small amount of energy, enough to make a human pass out; but a Pureblood Child is different — they need more energy to satisfy them than a Noble does, so they possess the ability to drain a being of its energy until dead.

Takuma rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Yeah."

"But, Daddy is still my Daddy, right?"

"Well... uhmm... Actually, no. See, you're a Pureblood, right?" At this, Katsura nodded, his eyes beginning to glisten. He knew what was coming. "Well, Daddy's only a Noble; a Level B."

"That's below Pureblood on the chart, right? Then..." He was able to draw his own conclusions. He had his father's intelligence, and I often cursed this. That poor child. He was only seven... he didn't understand. "Then... _neither_ of you are my _real_ Daddy..."

"We adopted you on your mother's request," I finally said, feeling that I needed to be a part of this now. It was as much my fight as it was Takuma's. "She died the night you were born."

"And... and my father...?" Katsura hung his head to hide the tears from the frustration. It must've hurt knowing that we had been lying to him all his life. I couldn't even begin to comprehend what he was feeling right now.

"Your father is Kuran Kaname, the ancient ancestor of the Vampires," I told him, taking Takuma into my arms when he moved closer. "He's in the hospital for trying to kill me to awaken Kuronue."

"Kaname also happens to be my father," Kuronue said as he entered the room, instantly picking up on what was happening. He had an awful knack for things like that... "Which makes you my little brother."

"Which makes me Daddy's uncle... _and_ son...?" All trace of tears had dried up when Kuronue entered the room. I could feel it in his aura that he was still very angry at the news that we had kept from him, and I could understand this. But these words made me cringe; I hadn't realized this before. What a screwed up family...

Miyabi giggled slightly as Katsura wallowed in a new, brighter aura when my jaw dropped slightly. I had not been expecting that... at all. I lowered my head to my hand as Katsura burst out laughing... I didn't know what was so funny... Then, he calmed down slowly. "Kuro-sama, you're funny! So, can I call you Onii-sama?" He started laughing again... Like it was _really_ that funny. But, I sighed with relief, anyway. He didn't believe Kuronue... Oh well; we'd tell him again when he was a little older...


	3. Chapter Two

_**Cold Roses**_

_"For death is no more than a turning of us over of time to eternity."_

_Chapter Two  
_ We were on the plane back to Cross Academy — a long, boring trip. Long ago, just after take off, Katsura had fallen asleep in one of the back rooms of the private jet owned by Takuma's newly opened — but already very successful — acting agency. This was the first year that we were letting Katsura tag along with us; Takuma had told me he was ready, and he was confident that with Kaname locked up, there was no threat to Katsura we couldn't handle. It was great to hear him phrase it that way, as apposed to, "There's no threat to him at all." The knowledge that there would always be threats to him in this world... no matter what we did. Takuma had a good way of saying things right. I heard said blonde sigh deeply next to me, and I leaned my head on his shoulder, allowing him to rub my hair gently.

"Are we there yet?" I mumbled, closing my eyes.

"You know we aren't. We still have another hour and a half," Takuma whispered to me, stilling his hand and ceasing his ministrations. "Don't you fall asleep on me now, too."

I smiled, taking his spare hand in one of my own and squeezing. "I'm not tired... just bored."

"Oh."

There was another long silence, and I found myself wandering back seven years to a particular travel on a bumpy northern road by shuttle bus. Now, I opened my eyes, grinning at Takuma with a wild look in my eyes. He raised one slender eyebrow in question. "Takuma, you still haven't paid me back."

He was slow in response. "For what?"

"Remember seven years ago; those pants of mine that you puked on?"

It took a moment, but Takuma's face lit up like a stoplight and he recoiled. "Right... Sorry!"

"Don't say sorry; just kiss me, idiot."

It took Takuma a half second to heed this request. He wasn't slow _all_ the time. Especially when it came to sexual advances. Over the years, Takuma had learned quickly from me, and from obvious other sources. I often caught him using tricks that I had glanced over in magazines that featured me as the cover model, which Takuma always ordered. Of course, he wasn't reading the men's section on how to please a woman — though some of those tips were incorporated after being severely tweaked to fit our situation.

Takuma reached over to stroke my face, letting his hand slip lower and lower; down along my chest to the zipper at the neck of my sweater, which lead down my chest before curving off to continue down my side. It was difficult enough to get it on — it was easier when one had help — but all the fun was in taking it off. Of course, this was Takuma's favourite top of mine because of it's easy access, and he dragged his fingers along my skin as the zipper descended, exposing my chest to the moderated temperature of the jet's atmosphere, which was quickly heating between my lover and I. I heaved in a breath, letting my head fall back away from Takuma's soft lips as the sweater was parted and skilled fingers found one already taught nipple, ghosting over it gently, then pinching and rolling in response to a melodic moan released from between my slightly parted lips.

Feeling prided by my easily elicted reations, Takuma began to trail his lips and tongue down my jaw and neck, suckling lightly on the Bite Area — the junction between shoulder and neck. I bit my lip, holding back a moan, remembering my son in the back room. It was too soon for him to be awoken by the sounds of his adoptive fathers making love in the next room — he was still _far_ too young to have any idea what was going on. So, as long as we were quiet, it would do no harm.

Takuma scraped fangs lengthened by sheer lust against my sensitive skin, causing me to groan low in my throat. Moving to stand in front of me, he closed his eyes, thick eyelashes brushing my neck and I shuddered, helping him to remove the sky-hued button-down top, pushing it frantically off his shoulders; there was no way around it — we both needed to be together, _now_. He began to unbutton my pants, simultaneously pulling down the short zipper and releasing me from their painful grasp, while effectively relieving me of my boxers as well; I sighed, kissing my lover's cheek in gratitude. He loosened his own pants, slipping the button from its catch and letting the zipper's stainless steel teeth fall apart from eachother. Takuma groaned, obviously relieved exponetially just by unfastening his pants. Could he be that hard already?

Once both our clothing laid in a pile to our left, Takuma left my neck, going immediately for the hardened prize between my legs, and I gasped, throwing my head back as he engulfed the whole member. Words were unable to describe the pleasure as he pulled back up, avoiding his fangs, to suck just on the head, and hard. I couldn't stop myself from moaning, grabbing the arm rests of the leather chair I sat in so that I could anchor myself down. It was taking everything in my fragile will not to push Takuma off and dominate him right now. He moved back down, lavishing heated attention with a skilled tongue, sucking hard all the while. I was beginning to see stars already, and I wasn't even getting close to my climax yet. My Takuma was amazing, that much was for sure; and the best part was knowing that I had taught most of this to him myself. He began to bob his head in a rythmic fashion, increasing the speed of the heated attentions and the pressure of his sucking. It had to be impossible for his lips to not be numbing by now. Fortunately, I felt myself getting close and urged Takuma to halt his actions. Obediently — albeit, reluctantly — Takuma released the soaked and throbbing flesh from pinkening lips. Both of us were breathing hard, our chests rising and falling in time as I pushed myself from the chair to the floor where Takuma knelt, and then slowly reclined as I began to fist his already painfully hardened erection.

I ran my fingers along the slit, coating them thickly in Takuma's pre-cum as the blonde moaned softly. He reached out for me, and I obliged him, laying atop him with my weight supported on my left arm. My right disappeared between his thighs, just south of the abandoned length. As Takuma pulled me down for a slow, lusty kiss, I circled his entrance, slipping my middle finger in to the hilt, curling it just slightly. Enough to hit the spot. I had memorized the location of Takuma's prostate, and one would have expected it, given the length of our relationship. Turning his head from me, Takuma let out a howl that would rival that of a wolf, and I had to shut him up quickly. As soon as he turned his head back to me, delerious with pleasure, I wrapped my fingers in his golden hair, keeping him in place as I delved my tongue deep into his mouth. Momentarily forgetting the attention I was paying to his rear, he kissed back, fighting my tongue for dominence within his mouth. I let my finger enter and exit his body, soon adding another finger, and eventually another as I prepared him, stretching and prodding as we worked up to the inevitable.

My lover writhed beneath me, and I pulled away from our kiss, staring into his eyes, hazy with ecstasy as I removed my hand from between his legs. He whimpered, pressing his lower regions against my own, and I shifted my weight onto the previously busied arm. Positioning myself, I heard him whisper my name, closing his eyes to beg me softly.

"Please, Senri..."

I smiled, moving in to sheath myself completely within Takuma's restricting warmth. I hissed at the feeling of his muscles flexing around me, and pulled back to the head. I pressed back in, creating a rythem out of this, friction building between our heated bodies as I picked up the pace. It seemed like time stopped around us while our bodies were joined in such a beautiful moment, caught between nothing and everything, black and white, time and eternity. Life and death. We moved together in sync, having memorized eachother long ago. Takuma's legs wrapped around my waist and locked, fisting my hair roughly as we locked lips to reduce the noise level, while one tight fist closed around my lover's member, pumping desperately. Soon, only minutes after the pilot announced that we would be landing in fifteen minutes, I drove home releasing both Takuma and myself near simulaneously — me first, and then Takuma only seconds behind as my hot seed filled his body, making us both cry out in passionate ecstasy.

However, the cries of our yearly tradition were cut short.

"Daddy? Takuma? You okay?"

Katsura had opened the door and was peering out curiously with tired eyes. Luckily, we were hidden behind the row of leather chairs that faced away from Katsura's room.

I struggled to catch my breath, fetching the pile of clothes and sorting them quickly. "Uhmm... We're fine, Katsura. Everything is perfect. Just fine. We're fine."

"Are you sure? You don't _sound_ fine." Intelligent little— "Do you need help? What're you doing on teh floor?"

"It's comfortable," Takuma piped up, pulling his boxers on as quickly as possible in his current position as I did the same. Neither of us had time to clean up, so we were unbearably uncomfortable throwing the rest of our clothes on, contrary to what Takuma had told our child. "_Quite_ comfortable."

"Really? Can I sit with you?" He perked up slightly, opening the door a little wider.

"Just a moment, Katsura. Just hang on." Takuma helped me zip my sweater as I said this, and we both stood, covered in sweat with our hair a mess. Especially Takuma's. It made Katsura laugh, and we both blushed when he made his comment, knowing full well that he had no idea what was going on.

"Takuma, your hair's staticky." He slurred the last two words together, resting a finger on his bottom lip cutely, one arm wrapped around his stuffed bunny, Yoru-sama. He came to my side and gripped onto my shirt, watching Takuma in a frenzy, flattening his hair. At least this gave him the perfect reason to run out of the room and clean up.

After Takuma had left, I turned my eyes down onto bright crimson ones, my hand tangling in dark brown locks. Gods, he looked so much like his parents... Some days, it actually hurt. "Daddy?" he asked with concern, and wrapped both arms around my waist. I hugged him back, shutting my eyes to reality. This _was_ my child, out of Yuuki and by Kaname though he may be.

"What were you and Takuma screaming about just now? Were you fighting?"

I smiled ruefully, a slight blush heating my cheeks. "Yeah. Something like that."

"Do you fight alot?"

I took a minute to think. "I suppose so."

"Is it because of me?"

My heart hit the floor. He thought that by fighting... I meant...

"Are you and Takuma gonna break up 'cuz of me?" Katsura was beginning to tear up, his beautiful young face contorted in pain.

"Katsura... no... That's not what I meant..." I paused, trying to explain this to him. There was one simple answer. "Takuma and I love eachother; we always will, and I promise that neither of us will ever go away, alright? We were just wrestling... Like you and Miyabi do all the time."

"Really?" He sniffled heavily, pulling back to look at me. Had I really scared him that badly? "So, you're not mad at me?"

"Why would I be?"

The rueful look that came across Katsura's face made me sorry I asked. I didn't even want to know, and I told him so. He smiled and nodded, more than happy to comply. I knew I'd find out eventually. With Katsura, I always did.

Takuma returned just as the pilot put out the warning that we were about to land, and the three of us buckled into our seats, awaiting the moment the wheels touched the paved runway. Katsura bounced excitedly, asking the same questions he had when we left about Cross Academy, about our friends, about Humans — something he had never seen before. We had decided to introduce him to what would usually be considered Vampire Food at Cross Academy, where he wouldn't be allowed to take blood from the Humans. He was still slowly being weaned off energy and onto blood, but he had never had anything but the blood of Takuma, Kuronue, or myself; seeing as Miyabi was almost never around. She was either busy with her job, or searching for leads on her father's whereabouts. So far, she had learned that a brief job with an overseas trading company had brought him far south of the Shiki Manor, somewhere down in the tropics. But that was about it.

The plane hit ground. When we passed the airport, I could see a group of familiar faces, aged so much since I had first met them so long ago, and a bit of a cheer ran through them. There was a banner held across the window, so large that it completely dwarfed the head of perfectly coiffed gold hair that fixed it in place on one end, and strawberry blonde pigtails on the other. It read, in large pink letters, '_Welcome home, Shiki and Ichijou! Show Us Your Child!_' Typical behaviour of Aidou Hanabusa. But very much welcomed with a warm, fond smile.


	4. Chapter Three

_**Cold Roses**_

_"No one can confidently say they will be living tomorrow."_

_Chapter Three_

It had to be about a week after school had started that Kuronue called me in the middle of class. Over the school's speaker system, I was paiged from the Night Class's studies — which were really more of hang-out sessions than actual studies these days (after seven years, one would think we all would have graduated; but we all really just stuck around for appearances anyway, so what was the difference?) — to take an urgent phone call. I picked myself up from my desk, wondering who it could be that wouldn't have my cell number. That, right away, ruled out my mother — ever since she wrapped her head around the mere _idea_ of texting, she sent me three or four every evening, then again at midnight, and in the morning before I went to bed. Which was strange, I decided, drawing the device out of my pocket as I exited the room. No new alerts...

I turned, opening the door, to watch Katsura playing with Aidou (the worst combination in the history of the world, I swear) who lifted the younger boy above his head, spinning dangerous circles with him. Katsura was laughing manically; I took me a few seconds to calm down and take a breath. "Katsura, stay here with Takuma, alright?"

Suddenly, Aidou ceased his spinning. Not only Katsura, but the whole Night Class, stared at me curiously in silence. "Where're you goin'?"

"I've got to go take a phone call; that's all."

The dark-haired boy shrugged. "Kay. See you when you get back. Love you, Daddy."

I smiled, watching the faces of several of my friends light up at my reply. "Love you, too." It was definitely not common at all to hear me express my feelings in front of so many people that I wasn't intimately close with; so no doubt, they all fixed gazes of awe on their youngest classmate.

Katsura grinned, giving me the permission I needed to leave the room, shutting the door firmly behind me. My pace was deadly quick as I made my way through winding corridors and dimly lit halls. Once upon a time, I had found humour in the fact that this place was built like a maze; now it was really getting on my nerves. It felt like it was taking too long... I wouldn't get there in time to take the call... But, I found my way soon enough, walking into the Headmaster's office without knocking or excusing myself.

"Ahh, Shiki-kun! Your father's on the phone, he says it's really important!" Headmaster Cross held the phone out to me, and I was almost afraid to take it; though when I did, I did it quickly.

_What does that bastard think he's doing still living?_ I wondered; and on top of everything else, why would he call me? Why would Headmaster Cross even _think_ about actually calling me down to talk to him?

"Hello?"

"Senri!"

I heaved a sigh. Okay, it wasn't Rido. It was Kuronue — I made a mental note to correct the Headmaster in the most violent way possible after this call. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Senri, it's your mother. She's been running a high fever for the past few days now, and just this morning she tried to get out of bed and collapsed. She's very ill, Senri. I don't think there's much anyone can do for her. Fuyuki and I were fighting about it... he left. I'm alone here and..." He took a breath, sounding almost frantic. "I don't know what to do. I've arranged to have her hospitalized."

The words wrang through my head, echoing, resounding, growing louder and louder by the second. The blood was rushing in my ears, pounding so hard that I couldn't hear anything. Biting my lip, I let the phone drop from my hand as all the muscles in my body just seemed to release. I let myself fall to sit on the floor. This really wasn't happening. My mother was sick, possibly dying, and I was miles away at school, where I couldn't even go see her! Gods, what was this luck? I hadn't been hit with something like this in _seven years_. Seven whole years and nothing bad had happened. How did these things manage to happen to me? Why was it that I seemed to follow a string of circumstances with only the desire to make me as miserable as possible?

Eventually, I pulled myself back to class, throwing myself down in my seat in a haze of weary disbelief. Takuma was at my side immediately to ask me what was wrong, and I explained everything to him in a hushed voice to keep the others from hearing how frantic I was getting. I wanted to hide myself from them, but when Takuma opened his arms to me, I couldn't stop myself from toppling over onto him, letting him embrace me tightly as I cried into his shoulder. Katsura, worried by my tears, came over from a game of chess with Kain and wrapped thin arms around my back. It startled me, but I allowed him to come in between Takuma and I, completing the hug indefinitely.

I wouldn't tell Katsura about my mother's illness until she was moved to a larger hospital, not too far away, and I took him to visit her. When we arrived, she wasn't taking visitors — I saw her briefly, covered in wires for monitering, and using a machine to breathe for her. I thought back to when Takuma and I were looking down on Katsura for the first time, his body covered much the same way as Mother's. The only difference was that her blood wasn't fighting to fend off the illness. She wouldn't magically develop an immunity and somehow live. It just didn't happen for Aristocrats the way it did with Purebloods.

Only a few days after that, Shiki Naoko lapsed into a coma, her illness getting worse as the days pressed on...

And then, after a total of ten days since the first call I recieved, Shiki Naoko died.

xXXx

"Senri," Takuma whispered as he entered our darkened dorm room. I hadn't left it in about three days since my mother's death, and needless to say, Takuma was beginning to worry. I didn't blame him — he and Katsura hadn't even been allowed in to see me in those three days, having me snap at anyone who had the balls enough to open the door. I felt empty — just cold and lifeless as if I were carved from ivory. It was too much for me to live with, my only parent having left the world... What's more, I hadn't even been able to be there with her, to ease her pain and suffering... to give her the blood she needed to survive. _I _had failed her... It was my fault she was dead. Takuma most likely sensed those feelings on me and decided it was time to intervene. "Senri, are you awake?"

I sat in one of the leather arm chairs, having pulled it up to the window, and now I stared out into the world of day, lifelessly, pretending that I didn't feel the pain. I turned my head slightly, unwilling to admit that I was so happy to hear that voice again... My answer was a strained reply, my voice hoarse from the first fourty-eight hours of crying helplessly, and the following twenty-four of silence. "What're you doing here? I thought I told you to leave me alone."

"Look, this isn't healthy, Senri." The door clicked shut and Takuma joined me by the window. "I know; words can't describe what you feel for your mother right now — don't forget, I've been through this. But you need to pull yourself together. There are so many ways that you could be dealing with this right now, and this really isn't the best."

"What does it matter...?" I asked, turning away from him again. The sunlight was blinding to my eyes, which were adapted for dark nights.

Takuma sighed, shutting the curtains and standing in front of me. "It _does_ matter, Senri, whether you want to believe it or not. Would you think about the people around you — think about _Katsura._"

I scoffed, shutting my eyes to avoid looking at him. How could he say these things to me? "That's so very mature of you, Takuma. Bringing the child into this."

"Like it or not, he _is_ a part of this. He misses you; he doesn't understand why you're treating us the way you have been, so you need to let go of you mother, at least for him. She'll be fine in the Afterlife without you — she'll be happy there."

I listened to Takuma and let him finish, considering his words. "There's no such thing as an Afterlife, Takuma. When you're dead, you're dead; that's all there is to it."

Takuma was obviously growing exasperated with my unwillingness to let go of my side of this argument. He balled his hands into fists, taking a deep breath. "Look, we're going to start planning her funeral with or without you. If you want to help, come with me to the funeral home."

I paused for a minute, staring past Takuma. I still didn't want to accept her death... But, I wanted to help. Maybe the pain would lessen if I did. I was already well aware that it would never go away; that was something Takuma always told me on the subject of death. So, I nodded, taking Takuma's hand and allowing him to pull me to my feet. He held me, cradled me in his warmth and told me everything would be okay. And even with such a tragedy only three days passed, I believed him.


	5. Chapter Four

_**Cold Roses**_

_"Before I met him, I had never fallen in love. I had only stepped in it a few times."  
_

_Chapter Four_

The clouds hung so thick over the night sky that evening, I could barely see a step in front of me as Takuma and I stepped out of the church that had held my mother's wake, ready to be taken to our car. Katsura held tightly onto Takuma's arm, gravitating away from my silent, grey demeanor. I was as dark as the clouds tonight; I hadn't said a word to anyone, and I didn't intend to for the rest of the night.

We were headed to the cemetery to bury Mother next to what would be Takuma's parents, had they ever been found. This, I knew, was what she would have wanted had she still been sane. To be with her best friends until the end of time. I stepped into the limousine, sliding over to make room for Takuma and Katsura, but staying far to the left. I could feel Takuma's uncertainty and Katsura's confusion, and I knew I was hurting both of them... But for some reason, it didn't matter while I felt like this...

I felt Takuma's eyes on me now, and I didn't want to look. I knew what I'd see. Beautiful green eyes laden with sorrow, guilt, and loneliness. He probably felt as if I was abandoning them; and in a way, I was. I couldn't say whether I felt bad about it or not, which I'm sure hurt Takuma... It was likely that he figured I wasn't really sure whether or not I wanted to be with him — several times he had suggested a Blood Bond; but I kept refusing... I saw what Bonds did to Mother, and I didn't want to turn into her on Takuma... That would be absolutely cruel. On the other hand, she had ingested pure blood, which most likely had more to do with it than the Bond itself.

Finally, the feeling wore me down and I turned on Takuma quickly. "What do you want?"

"You haven't said anything to me or Katsura all day."

"I know," I snapped, a little more harshly than intended.

"You're scaring us — _both _of us." Takuma held our child a little closer. The seven-year-old curled up on the opposite side of Takuma from me, crimson eyes large and frightened. He chewed on his own thumb slightly, watching me intently as if I'd hurt him physically. He _was_ scared.

"Daddy, are you okay?" Katsura's voice was meek from underneath Takuma's jacket, and I barely caught it; but I turned to him then and held out my arms. The prince crawled over, cuddling into my body while I kissed his forehead and stroked his hair.

"I haven't been feeling well since Obaa-sama died," I explained calmly, and Katsura nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry I've been so horrible to both of you."

"We've all been feeling unwell since Obaa-sama died... Can't we all just feel unwell together?" Simple child logic. But I couldn't help it; I had to smile. He looked up at me with those big red eyes, and I broke again, pulling him close before he could see the tears. I knew he sensed them; he was silent for a moment. "Daddy, what's wrong?" I didn't answer and he snuggled into me.

He stayed there until we arrive at the cemetery.

xXXx

"We meet here today to honour and pay tribute to the life of Shiki Naoko, and to express our love and admiration for her. Also to try to bring some comfort to her family and friends who are here and have been deeply hurt by her sudden death." The minister stood at the head of the open grave, Takuma, Katsura and I standing just with him. The sky was darker than it had been just hours earlier, and I held my son and my lover close so I wouldn't lose them. The minister continued the service as if it were broad daylight; he probably had the whole thing memorized by now. "Today will be remembered for many reasons, but mainly I hope it will be remembered by you all as a very special day; a special day in which you shared some time with others, in order to pay your last respects and to say — mentally and physically — a sad and fond farewell to a wonderful lady; a lady we were all so very privileged to have known. And so, tonight we've put aside our usual nightly activities for a while, and gathered here to give expression to the thoughts and feelings that well up inside us in this time of loss. And also because, in one way or another, Naoko's death affects us all.

"Naoko had a good life; though confined within the walls of her home, she was taken care of by Senri, her hard-working son, whom she loved very much. In this short time, we can't even _begin _to scratch the surface of Naoko's glory days as an actress, or the peril placed upon her by her late husband, Kuran Rido. But I hope when you leave here tonight that you will have left with a feeling of having taken part in something special, for a very special and unique woman."

It went on like that; the minister's voice a dull droning that matched perfectly with the dank mood that hung in the air. About halfway through the service, the Heavens opened up and it poured rain so hard that we couldn't hear the words of the service. But no one moved. Everyone kept their heads bowed, no one said a word, and the minister continued as if there weren't a cloud in the sky. Further proof to back up my theory. The minister was an old Vampire, aged considerably as if he had lived _twice_ as long as the first Pureblood. And if he were to come out and tell me such thing, I might be inclined to believe him. He was a Common Level Vampire, as I could tell from his scent; but he was still so old...

"Now, I'd like you to take a moment of silence as we all remember Naoko in our own special ways, and those of you who take part in religious practice may offer their own private prayers to her. At this time, we should also offer prayer to Naoko's family who unselfishly devoted themselves to her throughout her whole illness." I almost missed this. I hadn't noticed, but I had tuned out most of the service by now. The people surrounding us — actors, models, my school friends, a few Purebloods — were beginning to get antsy waiting for the end. I didn't blame them; the rain had finally stopped and there was a nice cold breeze out to make everyone sick tonight. Soon, the minister spoke again, cuing the soft melodic and familiar tune of one of Mother's favourite songs... "When we leave here shortly, I hope that, like me, you will leave with a real sense of having shared something special, for a very special woman, taken last week in the hospital by what was identified as a very rare blood poisoning. But for the moment, please remain to listen to a few minutes of Mozart's _Moonlight Sonata_."

And that was it. It had all gone by too quickly... I decided that I didn't want to stick around for the burial and Takuma led me back to the car, understandingly.

It was another week before I was seen at work or at school again.


End file.
